Property

Twynam calls time on Lachlan Valley holdings Jemalong, Merrowie

Liz Wells, February 7, 2018

TWO of the Lachlan Valley’s best-known irrigation properties, Jemalong Station and Merrowie, are being offered for sale by Twynam Agricultural Group to wind up the company’s current investment in property in western New South Wales.

Irrigated canola growing at Jemalong Station near Forbes.

In a statement , Twynam this week said the properties were being offered for sale by expressions of interest as part of the ongoing downsizing of the company’s agricultural property holdings.

Jemalong Station covers 13,387 hectares, including 2384ha of irrigation, and is located 35 kilometres west of Forbes.

The holding comes with an 8885 megalitre General Security Jemalong Irrigation Licence (GSJIL), and 3107Ml of groundwater entitlement.

Also being offered is the adjacent Jemalong Citrus, a 361ha holding which includes a 215ha orchard watered by a 750Ml GSJIL, and a 1000Ml groundwater licence.

Merrowie is located 15km from Hillston, and covers 32,730ha, including 9906ha of irrigation.

Merrowie comes with a 6689Ml General Security entitlement from the Lachlan River, and a 10,528Ml groundwater licence.

Agents for the sale are Gary Johnston of Johnston Rural Group, and Bruce Gunning of Ray White Rural International.

Mr Gunning said Merrowie was already a large-scale producer of cotton with a gin on its boundary, and Jemalong also had the potential to grow cotton.

Jemalong Station, Jemalong Citrus and Merrowie are available individually or as a group, and expressions of interest close on Monday, 12 March.

Both Jemalong Station and Merrowie grow winter and summer crops, and produce beef cattle.

Merrowie also produces wool.

In 2015, Twynam sold The Mount feedlot, also at Jemalong, as its first divestment in the Forbes district.

Twynam is owned by the Kahlbetzer family, and has retained two agricultural holdings in NSW, Johnniefields and Wingello, both east of Goulburn.

Its other principally cotton-producing properties in NSW including Collymongle at Collarenebri, Buttabone in the Macquarie Valley, and Cooinbil, Gundaline and Mungadal in the Riverina, have all been sold in recent years.